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Stardust (song)
"Stardust" is a popular song composed in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics added by Mitchell Parish in 1929. Carmichael recorded the song, originally titled "Star Dust", at the Gennett studio in Richmond, Indiana. The "song about a song about love",Sudhalter 2002, p.XI. See also p.123: "..."Star Dust" is obviously a song about a song—a genre relatively rare in American popular music. There had been such songs before: Irving Berlin's 1909 "That Mesmerizing Mendelssohn Tune" (about the great German composer's famed Spring Song) is one example among many. But none had been a major song about a song—particularly a song that didn't actually exist. This was new." played in an idiosyncratic melody in medium tempo, became an American standard and is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century with over 1,500 recordings. In 2004, Carmichael's 1927 recording of the song was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. Composition According to Carmichael, the inspiration for "Stardust" (the song's original title was "Star Dust", which has long since been compounded into "Stardust") came to him while he was on the campus of his alma mater, Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana. He began whistling the tune, then rushed to the Book Nook, a popular student hangout, and started composing. He worked to refine the melody over the course of the next several months, likely in Bloomington or Indianapolis (sources cite various locations, and Carmichael himself liked to embellish the facts about the song's origins).Sudhalter 2002, pp. 105-106. "Stardust" was first recorded in Richmond, Indiana, for Gennett by Carmichael with Emil Seidel and his Orchestra and the Dorsey brothers as "Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals" on October 31, 1927, as a peppy but mid-tempo jazz instrumental. Carmichael said he was inspired by the improvisations of Bix Beiderbecke. The tune at first attracted only moderate attention, mostly from fellow musicians, a few of whom (including Don Redman) recorded their own versions. Mitchell Parish wrote lyrics for the song, which were published in 1929, based on his and Carmichael's ideas. A slower version had been recorded in October 1928, but the transformation came on May 16, 1930, when bandleader Isham Jones recorded it as a sentimental ballad.Sudhalter 2002, p.139 "Stardust" is a 32-bar melody with a slightly unusual ABAC structure preceded by a 16-bar verse. Although the verse is often omitted in recordings, Frank Sinatra made a recording in 1961 of just the verse. The verse and chorus have the same final cadence, though other than that they are musically distinct. Title The original sheet music publication of "Stardust" was published under the title "Star Dust" by Mills Music with a copyright date of 1929.Carmichael, Hoagy and Mitchell Parish. "Star Dust". New York: Mills Music, 1929 The first recording of the song (Gennett 78, 6311-B.), which was made by Hoagy Carmichael in 1927 before the writing of the song's lyrics, was titled "Stardust". Carmichael referred to his song as "Stardust" in a 1936 letter to M.B. Yarling of the Sears & Roebuck Company's Radio and Publicity Dept. He also referred to the song as "Stardust" in his memoir The Stardust Road while relating the story of its composition. In his book Stardust Melodies: The Biography of Twelve of America's Most Popular Songs, Will Friedwald states, "the correct title is given as two words, 'Star Dust'". Cover versions * Versions have been recorded by Art Tatum, Harry James, Django Reinhardt, Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, * Louis Armstrong – November 4, 1931 and on an alternate take inserted the lyric 'oh, memory' before an instrumental break.Armstrong, Louis. Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man 1923–1934. Columbia/Legacy 57176, 1994. Insert booklet, p. 26 * David Benoit – Standards (2006) * Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond – 1975: The Duets (1975) * The Chocolate Dandies with Don Redman and Lonnie Johnson (1928) * Nat King Cole – Love Is the Thing (1956) * John Coltrane – Stardust (1958) * Larry Coryell – Fallen Angel (1993) * Bing Crosby – August 19, 1931 with studio orchestra directed by Victor Young * Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra – (1940) * Benny Goodman – (1936) * Willie Nelson's version was used to wake up the crew of Space Shuttle mission STS-97 on their second flight day. * Steve Rochinski – A Bird in the Hand (1998) * Artie Shaw with solos by Billy Butterfield (trumpet) and Jack Jenney (trombone) (1941) * George Shearing and Mel Torme – Top Drawer (1983) * The early portion of the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre included a rendition of the song played by the fictional "Ramón Raquello and his Orchestra". The band performing in the broadcast included a young Mitch Miller. Legacy The 1927 recording on Gennett by Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1999, "Stardust" was included in the NPR 100, a list compiled by National Public Radio of the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century. In 2004, Carmichael's 1927 recording of the song was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress for the National Recording Registry. Attempting to explain the song's "eternal popularity", Carmichael biographer Richard M. Sudhalter credits "some combination of young Carmichael's heartland upbringing, Bix's uniquely bardic sensibility, and the unself-conscious emotional directness that characterizes much non-urban American pop music." See also *List of 1920s jazz standards Notes References * * External links *Stardust on Sold on Song (BBC) Category:1927 songs Category:1920s jazz standards Category:Songs with music by Hoagy Carmichael Category:Songs with lyrics by Mitchell Parish Category:Harry Connick Jr. songs Category:Louis Armstrong songs Category:Frank Sinatra songs Category:Nat King Cole songs Category:Johnny Mathis songs Category:Billy Ward and his Dominoes songs Category:Eddie Cochran songs Category:Al Hirt songs Category:Willie Nelson songs Category:Bing Crosby songs Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings Category:Jazz compositions in C major Category:Songs about music Category:1930 singles